People put up lights on buildings and finished large-scale dioramas of the mountains where the Holy Prophet (pbuh) received his revelations from Allah. Naats filled the air and langar stalls were set up. Thousands were expected to visit the area overnight for the Eid-e-Milad festival.
“It will be a sea of people, in a family environment,” said Ali Jehangir, a local shopkeeper in the Mochi Gate area. “They start coming after 11pm and keep coming till around 3-4 am.”
The festival has been organised for the last 15 years by Muhammad Rafi, known locally as Baba Rafi, with the aid of donations from local shopkeepers and residents.
The better displays include an elaborate mountain diorama, complete with water fountains powered by electric motors; a large model of Chauburji; and an eight-foot tall, five-foot thick copy of the Holy Quran written by hand.
Rafi voiced concern though that space in the area was running out for the festival. “We have been working every night after 10 pm to set up these decorations, because the streets are always full of people and we have to wait till they empty out a little,” he said.
He said that there was also a popular Taj Mahal diorama that could not be put on display for lack of space. “It’s become an issue because of the construction of new plazas,” he said.
“We cannot have as many big displays.
Three plots where we used to put up displays are now occupied by new buildings made within the last year,” said Mohammed Siddique, a local shopkeeper.
Muhammed Imran, a third-year Punjab University student from Mohalla Kakkay Zayyan, said every neighbourhood and street in the area shared responsibility for the event. His family had organised a small get-together and a band this year, as well as food. He said that Baba Rafi ensured cohesion in the displays.
Malik Zeeshan Shabbir, a journalist and local resident, said the biggest Eid-e-Milad procession would start at around 2 pm from Masjid Kashmiri and pass through Milad Chowk near Bhati Gate, where it would be joined by neighbouring processions before ending at Data Darbar. Many of the participants are from Barelvi parties like Dawat-i-Islami, he said.
On Tuesday, the Milad committee also organised a procession that started at Data Darbar after Maghreb and ended at Regal Chowk. It included religious scholars, lawyers, traders and students. Syed Mukhtar Ashraf Rizvi, Raghib Naeemi and Syed Mustafa Qadri gave speeches before the start of the procession.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.